Presenting Safety in Design to New Zealand’s Facilities Managers

Our Managing Director Brian Jones spoke at the FMANZ – Facilities Management Association of New Zealand FM Summit 2021 in July.

Brian presented alongside Louise Hunt from Kiwi Property on the topic of ‘Safety In Design – Furthering The Case For FM Participation In Design’, where they defined what is safety in design and explored hurdles to its implementation and levers to support its introduction.

They believe that the latter is particularly relevant as New Zealand enters a period where cost control is a focus. Cost control will see the reuse of fit-outs, premises and buildings, as well as placing pressure on installation, equipment and materials quality. Safety in design can help organisations objectively manage the risks associated with these trends.

Key takeaways from their discussion included:

• How to integrate hazard identification and risk assessment methods early in the design process.
• How to extend the lifecycle of a product, the needs of the user and the environment in which it will be used.
• What success looks like and how to draw positive attention to requirements until it becomes embedded as “BAU”.

Photo credit: Bex Charteris